Blast Moonstruck in Rose Gold: Ulysse Nardin’s Astronomical Limited Edition

The Story Behind the Release

• Limited to 20 pieces, the Blast Moonstruck in rose gold houses five interconnected astronomical indications within a geocentric display architecture, presenting the real-time relationship between the Earth, Sun and Moon on the wrist.
• Moonphase accuracy to within one day over 40.3 years, with the illuminated lunar face permanently oriented toward the Sun.
• Manufacture calibre UN-106: 338 components, 42 jewels, silicon escapement and hairspring, 50-hour power reserve.
• 45 mm case combining 18 ct rose gold with black DLC-treated titanium; aventurine dial beneath a domed sapphire glass box.
• Priced from 116,000 USD (tax excl.), reference 1065-400LE-2A-BLACK/1A.

Forty years before this watch existed, Rolf Schnyder acquired Ulysse Nardin and set it on a course defined by astronomical ambition. In 1983, he met Dr. Ludwig Oechslin, a watchmaker, astronomer and mathematician, and issued a challenge: translate celestial mechanics into something worn on the wrist. Two years later, the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei appeared, certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s first astronomical wristwatch. The Planetarium Copernicus and the Tellurium Johannes Kepler followed, completing the Trilogy of Time. In 2009, Oechslin returned with the first Moonstruck, unifying the Earth, Sun and Moon within a single geocentric display. The new Blast Moonstruck in rose gold carries that lineage directly, produced in a limited edition of 20 pieces.

Design and Architecture

Oechslin’s governing principle was that complexity belongs in the movement, not in the reading of the watch. The Blast Moonstruck applies this with unusual discipline. Five indications, including the moonphase, the days of the lunar month, tidal coefficients, a worldtimer with day/night distinction, and the real-time positions of the Sun and Moon, are presented not as separate complications but as a single coherent model of celestial motion. The wearer reads global time and planetary geometry simultaneously, at a glance.

At the centre of the display sits a three-dimensional representation of the Northern Hemisphere, engraved on the underside of a domed sapphire structure and viewed from the North Pole. The Sun indication rides a rotating 24-hour worldtimer disc, positioned at 12 o’clock as a fixed reference. The Moon follows its own orbital path, and its illuminated face remains permanently oriented toward the Sun, as it does in nature. This geometric fidelity, rather than a conventional disc-based moonphase, distinguishes the Moonstruck display from standard complications.

The 45 mm case pairs an 18 ct rose gold upper section with a black DLC-treated titanium case middle and bezel. Satin-finished and polished surfaces alternate across the upper case, with laser-finished facets adding directional light contrast. Beneath the sapphire dome, an aventurine dial provides the backdrop, its naturally shimmering surface suggesting a star-filled sky. A rose gold ring engraved with the days of the month encircles the dial, reinforcing the watch’s layered, architectural construction.

Movement and Materials

Calibre UN-106, developed and produced entirely in-house, integrates the worldtimer and all five astronomical indications within 338 components and 42 jewels. Both the escapement and the hairspring are silicon, produced by SIGATEC, Ulysse Nardin’s dedicated silicon manufacture. First introduced with the Freak in 2001, silicon components are anti-magnetic, self-lubricating and highly resistant to wear, contributing directly to the moonphase’s 40.3-year accuracy window.

Local time adjustment is handled via dedicated pushers on the case flank, which advance or retract the hour in one-hour increments without disturbing the astronomical indications or the minute hand position. Astronomical settings are adjusted separately via the crown. The movement runs at 4 Hz, delivering a 50-hour power reserve. The case back is open, fitted with a sapphire crystal, and the oscillating weight is finished in 5N rose gold.

Edition Details and Collector Context

Reference 1065-400LE-2A-BLACK/1A is limited to 20 pieces. Pricing is set at 94,300 CHF (8.1% VAT incl.), 102,600 EUR (21% VAT incl.), 116,000 USD (tax excl.) and 87,530 GBP (20% VAT incl.). The watch is supplied on a black alligator strap with a folding clasp in black DLC-treated titanium and rose gold, and carries a water resistance of 30 m.

For collectors in the region, Ulysse Nardin operates a flagship boutique in Dubai. Those interested in the broader landscape of high-complication releases can follow ongoing coverage via the Fondation Haute Horlogerie and event coverage from Watches and Wonders.

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